Girls Day Out was on the top of the agenda today at the Historic Hillyard Merchants' meeting. The annual shopping event is Saturday and it takes place in Hillyard, Garland, North Monroe and on East Sprague (the International District). Go to the Girls Day Out website for more information and read the story in your Voice section Thursday.
The letter to the city and police department asking for more police protection was well received. Mayor Mary Verner and Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick along with city staff and city council members will be at a public meeting at the Outlaw Cafe on Dec. 15 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The meeting is open and intended as a forum for business owners and neighbors.

Hillyard merchants are looking forward to the meeting, though some are apprehensive because of the proposed budget cuts in the city and the police department.
Ther ewill be a story in tomorrow's Voices about the background for the letter.

The group agreed to invite the neighborhood resource officer to a meeting once a month. Also, there is now a computer at the COPS Shop on which business owners can load their IP addresses so their surveillance video can be watched from the COPS Shop, if they are interested in that.

Some conversation followed about how or why to establish a Business Block Watch. Stay tuned on that one.

A long conversation followed about Crime Check. There was agreement that people need to get past the idea that it's no use calling in, because no police officers are going to show up.

Business owners and neighbors agreed that every little thing should be reported to crime check.
The Merchants Association is gearing up for the Hillyard North Pole and the Hillyard Santa celebration - stay tuned for more updates on location and times.